Food and Entertaining

Dress Up Your Back Yard for Summer

When winter finally gives way to spring, people rush out to garden shops to buy bulbs and seeds.  Now that summer is just around the corner, they're turning their attention to backyard entertaining.  

You still have a few weeks to go before the crowds start gathering for backyard barbeques, swim parties and more.  And now is the time to start sprucing things up.

A good place to start is by tidying up the backyard.  If you haven't done so already,
hose down your patio furniture and replace the propane tanks in your grill.  You should also pull all the weeds that have popped up around your deck and other places people will be gathering; and if you don't have a lot of color, plant some perennials.

Next, turn your attention to decorating the house itself.  You can hang flags, banners, potted plants, and other decorations that give your house character.

"Most people who have vinyl siding think decorating is off limits because they can't hang anything from the siding without damaging it, but they're wrong," says Derek Diss, owner of Creative Vinyl Products, an Ohio-based company that has come up with  a solution -- a line of patented stainless steel hooks that won't rust or rot, and are easier to install than picture hooks.  All you have to do to attach the hook to the siding is wiggle it between the slats until it clicks in place.

The company now offers several different variations of the product.   The Original Siding Hook is perfect for hanging baskets and flower pots.  The company's "S Hook," can be used to attach items that need to hang flush against a wall, such as thermometers and house numbers.   And new this summer, there's a fire extinguisher attachment that's perfect for backyard grilling areas available as well.

All of Creative Vinyl's products are made in the United States.  To see a video of how the hooks work, or to place an order, log on to www.sidinghook.com.

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